Vacuum-siphon.



T. F. MECHLING.

' VACUUM SIPHON.

APPLICATION FILED Junie. 19H.

1,250,928. Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

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Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed June 8,1917; 1 see-a Nit-173,571 7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS'F. MEoH- LING, 'a citizen of the United States, residing atlVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Siphons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventiomsu'ch as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and 'figures *of'refer ence marked thereon, which form apartof" this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in vacuum siphonages and particularly to devices of this kind used by surgeons for producing a'vacuum within certain tubes to accomplish the drainageof various organs of the human body after certain operations have been performed:

The primary object of this invention is" to provide a device of this character which will cause a suction through suitable delivering tubes, by the passage of fluid from one fluid chamber to another.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for varying the force of the suction of the apparatus. A still further object of the invention is to connect and support a pair of fluid tanks in such a manner that they may be easily and quickly reversed, thereby producing a continuous siphonage action.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatus positioned ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the venting valves and Fig. 3 is a detail View of the pivoted latch and connections.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals, 5 indicates a suitable support having a vertically extending pipe 6, each end of which is provided with a pivoted latch member 7 engaging the catch portions 8 formed on the top of the respective tanks 9 and 10. Disposed centrally of the pipe 6 is a pipe 11 forming an axle on which the member 12 revolves. The member 12, as clearly shown is arranged intermediate of the length of the supporting rod 13, which is secured to tanks 9 and 10 by suitable clamps 14. The tanks 9 and l0 are disposed one above the other, the ad acent extremities of-jwhic'h aretaper'edas at*15,-'

and areconne'ctedby a'pip1el6, the passage: through said pipe" 16"'bein'g' coir-f of} fluid a, trolled by th'e needle ivalve '17 Connecting thetanks' '9 and" 10, at a pointi adjacent to the tapered "portions- 15' thereof,"

isa pipel8havingf-a central' coupling'lt), in

which are theivalve seatS 20 and21,"con

nected by a short pipe 22jhavin'g a venting opening 23. The ball valves 24 are adapted.

to seat on the respective" seats 20' when the apparatus is moved -toceft'ain positions;

A pipe 25 connectsfthe opposite ends-of tially short pipes 26, and'ftheflow of liquid thereth'rough "is controlled by the needle Valves27 and 28positi'one'dat the point of connection between] pipes "26* and tanks 9 and Q10. Adjacentthe outer'iendsIof the pipes 26' are openings'26""to receive the respective plugs 35 which, when removed and the valvesproperly operated,'permit the" wa terto be drained from the tanks.

A strong or mild vacuum may take place by manipulation of the valves, a mild vacuum with the valves almost closed, and a strong vacuum with the valves more open. When the water shows a tendency to leave the lower part of the gage of upper tank, the tanks are swung on their pivot 11 to the reverse position, and the valves are set to permit the vacuum to take place in the upper tank, while the lower valve or valve at the base of the lower tank is closed. It will, of course, be understood that the drainage from the patient is not drawn into the tanks, but the tanks merely create a suction through the delivering tubes which are in communication with a bottle or other suitable receptacle 30, in such a manner that the drainage will be delivered thereto.

The connecting pipe 29 is in communication with the pipe 25, and is disposed intermediate its length whereby the pipe 29 is always above the water level in the lower tank to permit of an unobstructed passage being had between the connecting pipe 29 and the tank in which the vacuum is being created. To the connecting pipe 29 the usual flexible delivery tubes 30 are con-1 nected, these tubes 80 providing communication between the pipe 25 and patient undergoing the operation. The filling of the tanks 9 and 10 is accomplished by removal of the cap 31 of the upper tank, whereupon the fluid is put into the tank, there being a cap 31 on each tank. In order to determine with the axis of the tanks, and means for 30 the amount of fluid in the tanks 9 and 1 venting one of the tanks.

the gages 32 are provided-and it will be readily seen that the operation of the fluid passing observed at all times.

In the operation of the device, the delivering tubes are positioned within the patients body, the valves 17 and :28 closed, the cap 31 of the uppermost tank removed and the up,- permost tank filled with liquid. After the tank has been filled, the valve 17 is then slightly opened to permit the water in the upper tank to pass to the lower tank, thereby producing a vacuum in the upper tank and consequently forming a suction in the delivery tubes which results in the drainage of the organs in whichthe delivery tubes are positioned. I

What I claim to be new is 1. In a surgical apparatus, a frame, a pair of tanks pivotally supported by the frame, means forcommunication between the tanks, means for controlling the flow of fluid from. one tank to the other, means for providing communication between the outer ends of the tanks, a connecting pipe in communication with the last mentioned means, said connecting pipe being disposed in a plane from one tank to the other may be 2. In a surgical apparatus, a supporting frame, a pair of communicating tanks 7 mounted on the support, means for mounting the tanks to permit the same to revolve on the stand, means for holding the tanks stationary with relation to the stand, a pipe for providing communication between the tanks, said pipe being arranged exteriorly thereof, valves for controlling the passage of fluid into the tanks, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid from one tank to the other, and means for venting the tanks.

3. In a surgical apparatus, a supporting frame, tanks revolubly supported on the frame and arranged one above the other, means on the support and cooperating with the tanks for holding the tanks stationary with relation to the stand, means for permitting the fluid of one tank to pass tothe other tank to cause a vacuum in one of the tanks, and means for venting the lower tank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. MECHLING. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN H. HOUGH, A. L. HoUoH.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cent; each, by addresslng tl e Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

